"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." ~ W.B. Yeats
| Welcome to the story of the birth of an extraordinary school: The Village School. What is The Village School? It is a place where learners are valued for their intrinsic knowing and much of our curriculum is based on real life experience. A place where children are free play and laugh like children, and more importantly, to be themselves.

Pages

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Raising Fun ...D ...s

I have the best idea I have ever had for a fundraiser for The Village School!

I was experiencing my involuntary early morning awake time a few mornings ago and tossing pebbles and dust around in my head for fundraisers. Next thing I know they started coalescing into an actual idea - a good one!

I was thinking that we could have some sort of "art for education" auction. Then I was thinking if I had 40 pieces of donated art that sold for a thousand bucks a piece, I'd have my forty grand right there. Then I was thinking it would be awesome if it were some sort of giant mosaic on display in a public space and then the individual pieces - which would still make "sense" on their own - would be sold. Then I was thinking, it would be even better if the pieces were then given to some place public... liiike.... a public school!!!

And Voila! My idea was born!

So it would be a community driven effort and win!-win!-win! for all involved. Here's how:

The umbrella organization for the advancement of progressive education in The Bahamas, which will ultimately own The village School, will approach the artists and art community inviting donations of pieces a specific size (say, 24" x 36") and possibly theme (such as "Free to be Me"), and we would then host an opening reception at a gallery (maybe PopOp or The Hub) inviting people to come and see and buy. Everyone would be made aware that it was a fundraiser for the umbrella group with the intention of funding a new non-profit school. The pieces would be purchased by the aficionado-philanthropists and then re-donated, each to a public school of the buyer's choice.

The Artists Win because they have participated in an event that (a) demonstrates the value of art in public spaces (b) funds the founding of a school that values art and (c) gotten good publicity for their charitable act.

The Buyers Win because they have (a) donated money to the founding of a school that values economic justices and art! and (b) double donated by also giving the art to a public educational facility

The Village School Wins because (a) we are demonstrating our community minded approach to life, (b) the event will provide us with funding needed to give scholarships to people who need them and (c) will have been responsible for a community driven "art in public spaces" project.

I do think 40 might be a bit much. I'd be happy to have 15 to 20. We would invite press and stuff, of course.